RAILWAY MATTERS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 139, 31 January 1916, Page 2

RAILWAY MATTERS.

Deputations Wait on Mr Hiley.

A Hurried Visit

For toe purpose of receiving

deputations eager on bringing under his notice requests for various improvements in railway administration, Mr E H Hiley, General Manager of New Zealand Railways, visiced Papakura, Pukekohe and Drury stations this morning. Mr Hiley travelled by special train and in each instance facilities were only atfordad for hurried interviews, at the close of which Mr Hiley departed with a celerity that wai bound to convey the impression that with such a cursory acquaintance with local conditions Mr Hiley could hardly do. fall justico to representations made him.

AT PAPAKURA An exceptionally large deputation of Papakura and Manurewa residents was met at Papakura, where the main requests concerned improvements in the suburban railway service. The results of the advocacy was that Mr Hiley said he cwld definitely promise that a train would be run from Auckland to Papakura each Saturday, leaving at 12.8 p.m" He could not directly agree to any further improvement in the service until such time as the expense of finding additional accommodation at Papakura could be met. That would cost something near £6(JUO, and the Government had at present to economise. Regarding the request that the Thames express should be stepped at Papakura when required, he said definitely that he was not in favour of it. The expresses, be explained, were not exactly a credit to the service, and as he had to study the majority he could hold out no hopes of more stops b;ing male than at present. A full report will appear next issue.

AT PUKEKOHE Pukekohe was next visited and the Mayor, Mr H G R Mason, asked that the Main Trunk exprees.s should make Pukekobe a stopping place. Pukekohe, he claimed, more than favourably compared with such stations as Maungaweka and Hunterville. His Worship referred to the fact that 13 the case of the trains known sa the second expresses one or other already stopped a». Buckland—only two miles from Fukekohe—for the purpose of "crosjing "—Mr Hiley remarked that the stopping place was not at Buckland as a benefit to that district, but because it fitted in with the other arrangements. He had discussed the matter with the officers of the Traffic Department and ould offer no hope of the expresses being made to etop at Pukekohe, as requested. There were other more important places which had made similar applications but their object was to run the express traim as quickly as possible and with as few stops as possible. Mr K F Webster, o"j behalf of the Pukekohe Chamber of Commerce, a9ked that a travelling cranu should be erected at the Pukekohe goods station. He pointed out that Tuakau bad such an apparatus, but Pukekohe was without any such convenience for handling heavy goods.—Mr Hiley replied that a travelling crane could always be supplied for any specially large orsignrnent if application were made. Although the traffic did not warrant a permanent crane at present, he had, however, already noted Pukekohe as a station to be supplied when finances permitted, Mr Andrew, Chamber of Commerce, requested that the 9 p.m. gools train from Mercer to Auckland, attached to which was an unused passenger carriage, should be made available for the convenience of traveller? to Auckland. —Mr Uil y's answer was that the cimage referred to was to be taken off as the train would be more usffully employed if it could carry more goods.

Cf R Lyons, Franklin County Council, asked that the Tham s express trains should stop at Fokeno on talc days, viz., once a month, for the convenience cf people attending the sales.-Mr Uihy premised to look into the matter.

A further application made by Cr Lyons that Mr Hiley should make representations to the Postal Department as to the advisability of a postal cadet being stationed at Fokeno was also promised consideration by Mr Hi ley.

AT RL'NCIMAN AND DRURY Local feeling concerning the central station proposal versus the retenton of the Runciman station was responsible for a deputation of over 200 meeting Mr Hiley at Runciman, which was reached on the return trip from Fukpkohe. Mr J Batty, chairman of the Karaka Koad Hoard, acted as the principal spokesman. He outlined what lie said would be hardships inflicted on the settlers of Kama Kama, Bombay, Karaka and Runciman districts if Runciman was deprived of its station, and claimed that 90 per cent of the traffic of the district went to Kunciman.

At Drury a deputation which had been appointed at a mee'.ing held there last week placed its views on the subject of the central site before Mr Hi ley. Ihey were strongly in favour of it. Mr Hiley's reply to the deputations was that he would consider the arguments tint had been brought forward and would place a report before the Minister. He expressed himself as being unabla to say anything more definite at present